


Desiderium

by WithYouTillTheEndOfTheShield



Category: The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Capitol Citizens, F/M, Finnick Odair-Centric, Hunger Games, Romance, The Capitol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-02 05:58:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4048810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WithYouTillTheEndOfTheShield/pseuds/WithYouTillTheEndOfTheShield
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That victor from District Four is wandering the Capitol again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Desiderium

Another argument was ongoing in the Hancroft household. As usual, mother and daughter were fighting. Loudly. As their voices echoed through the large house, servants eyed each other wearily, rolled their eyes, silently judged the two women. 

"Spera, you have to go! It's one of the biggest social events of the year!"

"Then go! Socialize. Just don't parade me around." 

A door slammed somewhere in the house, and footsteps came thudding down the grand staircase. The few servants gathered in the atrium to listen in on the argument scattered to other rooms, just as Spera Hancroft launched herself down the last few steps and grabbed her coat from the Bannister where she'd thrown it.

"Spera? Spera, what are you doing? _Spera!_ "

"Miss Hancroft." A soft voice called from the study. Spera, who was three steps from the door, span on the spot, to see an old man shuffle out into the hall. 

"Sophos." She exhaled slowly. "You startled me."

"It appears your mother wishes you to stay inside the house today, Miss Hancroft." He said evenly. As the head of the servants in the Hancroft household since Spera had been a little girl, he'd gotten well acquainted with the eldest Hancroft child. And her erratic tendencies. Unlike her sisters and younger brother, Spera had rejected the flamboyancy of Capitol balls and gatherings. That being said, she didn't exactly speak out against her lavish lifestyle either. 

"I'm not going to the ball, Sophos." She said quickly, her grip on the fur coat tightening. "I'm not. They push me around like I'm some kind of treat. And  _she's_ always trying to find me a husband, or a man, or a -"

"Perhaps a compromise?" The old man suggested, cutting across before she began another full tirade against her mother. He'd heard enough of them to know they could go on for hours. "I allow you out past the gardens this afternoon, on the condition that you return for the ball tonight?"

The young girl narrowed her eyes. Overhead, they could hear her mother moving around, heading for the stairs to try and find her daughter. "And if I don't come back for the ball?"

Both his eyebrows rose slightly. "I assume you don't want your mother to find out some of the more... Rebellious acts of yours that I'm aware of?"

They both heard the creak of Mrs Hancroft's foot on the first step. Spera scowled across at the older man, but nodded. "Fine. Deal. I'll come back for the ball. But I hate you."

He chuckled gently, turning away to return to the study. "That doesn't surprise me in the slightest, Miss Hancroft. Have a good afternoon."

"Mmh..." She pursed her lips. "You too, Sophos."

 

 

 

"Oh, you look divine!"

"I look like a doll." Spera muttered, tugging at the tight blue dress she'd been squeezed into after returning home. She was in her room, twisting and turning in front of the mirror to try and get a better look at herself. Her two younger sisters were perched on her bed, dressed in slightly more childlike, paler versions of her dress. 

"Nonsense. You'll be sure to attract a man, looking like this. I've heard that young Mr Spectral is going to be there." Her mother leaned in from where she'd been adjusting the back of the dress. "And you know how well the two of you got on last year."

"Eero Spectral can't love anyone but himself." Spera snapped. It wasn't exactly a lie. Last year, the two of them had talked for five minutes, mainly about him, before she'd made a couple of excuses and disappeared into the crowd. She really didn't want to see him again. "Mother, I'm only eighteen. You know, I don't  _have_ to find a husband in the next half an hour."

"Who said anything about a husband?" Her mother smiled at her in the mirror. "I just want you to be  _social_. Our family is so public, and you're so... Isolated. It isn't healthy, Spera."

"I'm perfectly happy -" She began, but her mother interrupted. 

"Spera, it's very important to your father's job that our entire family is... Is the kind of family that we want in Panem. We have to look supportive. Of your father, and of President Snow."

"And you don't think I look supportive?"

"You barely make any public appearances, and as a member of the council, your father is very high profile. If it looks like we aren't supportive... There could be..." She glanced over to Spera's two younger sisters, frowning. "Consequences."

Spera opened her mouth to argue back, but stopped herself just before she said something she'd regret. "I'll go to the party. I'll look pretty. I'll even smile."

 

 

The ball was already alive and full of people when the Hancrofts arrived. Spera walked in with her family, stood between her father and her brother. All around them there was music and laughter, people dancing and talking. Spera's father spotted a few of his colleagues, and slapped his son on the back, saying something about making an introduction. The two walked away, over to what looked like a group of council members placing bets on something. 

"Now, girls." Mrs Hancroft said, just loudly enough to be heard over the music. "Why don't you two go over there, talk to Mrs Aschby's daughters, hm?"

Spera watched as her two younger sisters dashed off, darting through the crowds of people to a different family, who'd entered through a separate door. Spera knew them well - they didn't live far from her family, and their two daughters often played with her sisters. As soon as the two girls were out of earshot, Mrs Hancroft began pointing out any viable men for Spera to try and dance with. 

"What about him? Oh no... You poured wine over him at the Summer banquet last year. Him? No... Why does he look familiar? Oh dear, I remember... You said some  _awful_  things about him, Spera. And... Oh no. He's no good. What about him, Spera? Hm?"

Spera followed her mother's pointing finger, to a sullen looking man, stood in the corner, watching the dancing couples. "He's alone, brooding. You'd be the perfect match, Spera."

"You're hilarious, mother." She muttered, hissing in pain suddenly. "What are you -?!"

Mrs Hancroft had sunk her nails into her daughter's arm, a sound - something like a squeak - coming from her mouth. "Oh my... I don't  _believe it_."

"What?" Spera snapped, pulling her arm away from her mother and following her gaze. Another couple had just walked in; a young blond man and an older woman with jet black hair. "What is it?"

"I think that's Finnick Odair. Oh, I had no _idea_ he was going to be here." Mrs Hancroft glanced at her daughter. "Spera, darling, why don't you go talk to that young man over there, yes, the one in the corner. No, Spera,  _go_. I'll be back in a moment. Go on, go."

Spera stumbled forwards a few steps, begrudgingly approaching the man in the corner. "Hello."

He barely even seemed to notice her, but when his dark eyes slowly moved from whatever he'd been staring at before and over to her face, he nodded slowly. "Good evening."

She could see this had the makings for an interesting conversation already. "Having fun?"

"Not really. Are you?"

She pursed her lips. "I was."

"Oh?" He spoke like he meant to carry on, but finished there. Groaning gently, Spera glanced over her shoulder, trying to see where her mother had disappeared to. She spotted her, only a few dancing couples away, talking to the blond man who she'd been so exited about. Finnick Odair. 

Odair. 

Why did that name sound so familiar to her?

Her mother's gaze - and Finnick's - suddenly turned. In her direction. And then, very quickly, her mother beckoned her over. Grateful to leave her new-found friend, Spera excused herself, not entirely sure that he noticed, and walked over. 

"Spera." Her mother sounded slightly out of breath as she approached, and Spera noticed her cheeks were slightly redder than they had been before. "Spera, I'd like you to meet Finnick Odair. Finnick, this is my daughter, Spera."

He cocked his head, flashing a brilliant white smile at her and catching her hand gently, bringing it to his lips.

"Pleasure."


End file.
